Horbat Borin

Amani Abu Hamid

30/12/2009

Final Report

During December 2001, a salvage excavation was conducted at Horbat Borin, along the northern fringes of Baqa- al-Gharbiya (Permit No. A-3542; map ref. NIG 203636/703415, OIG 153636/203415), in the wake of damage to antiquities while preparing a plot for construction. The excavation, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, was directed by A. Abu Hamid (surveying), with the assistance of T. Sagiv (field photography), and M. Shuiskaya (pottery drawing).

Horbat Borin is located on a spur along the western edge of the Samaria foothills, at an elevation of 50–60 m above sea level. It should probably be identified with Burim from the listings of place-names that were conquered by Shishak (A. Zertal and N. Markam, 2000, The Menasseh Hill Country Survey – from Nahal ‘Iron to Nahal Shechem, p. 292).

Square A. A rock-hewn cave (Fig. 2) and to its south, a hewn shaft with a niche at its bottom, were exposed. The passage from the cave to the shaft was blocked by different size fieldstones (Fig. 2: Section 1-1). The entrance to the cave (0.79 × 0.95 m) was in the northern side and it led to a cavity (2.25 × 2.80 m, height 1.5 m) that contained fill and several potsherds from the Byzantine period (L118).

The shaft of the cave (Fig. 2: Section 2-2) became bell-shaped toward its bottom (upper diam. 0.82 m, lower diam. 1.2 m, height 1.6 m); the alluvium fill that accumulated in it included fragments of pottery vessels from Middle Bronze II and Iron II (L123). A niche (Fig. 2: Section 3-3; 0.80 × 0.95 × 1.05 m) in the side of the shaft contained a fragment of an ossuary from the Chalcolithic period and potsherds from Iron II (Loci 131, 135).

Two fragments of Chalcolithic ossuaries (Fig. 3:1, 2) were discovered, not in situ. Three bowls and two bases that dated to Middle Bronze II were found in the cave’s entrance, including a thin carinated bowl of metallic fabric with an everted rim (Fig. 3:3) and two bowls (Fig. 3:4, 5) and two bases (Fig. 3:6, 7) of levigated and well-fired clay. Most of the Iron II ceramic finds recovered from the niche dated to the ninth–eighth centuries BCE, including round carinated bowls, some slipped red (Fig. 4:1–11), cooking pots (Fig. 4:12–19), a jug (Fig. 4:20) and a juglet (Fig. 4:21).

The cave, almost certainly hewn in MB II, was probably damaged when the shaft and the niche to the south were quarried. It seems that the latter were used for storage during Iron II, after the passage linking them to the cave was sealed.

Square B. Three phases that dated to Iron II were exposed (Fig. 5). The third and latest phase was represented by a wall (W103) aligned north–south and built of one row of medium-sized fieldstones (0.20 × 0.35 × 0.45 m) that were preserved a single course high. A floor (L113), paved with medium fieldstones (0.25 × 0.25 × 0.30 m) that were set on a bedding of small fieldstones (L112), abutted the wall. The finds ascribed to the second phase included Wall 134, partly excavated below W103, which was oriented east–west. The wall, preserved a single course high, was built of small fieldstones (0.08 × 0.15 × 0.10 m) and founded on tamped earth (Loci 140, 141). A rectangular plastered installation with round corners (L133) was exposed to its south. The first phase was represented by a circular rock-cutting (L143) beneath W134. It contained a yellowish brown clay fill mixed with small potsherds that could not be dated. The excavation of the rock-cutting, down to the discovery of its upper part, was then suspended and its nature could not be clarified.

The ceramic finds from the first two phases dated to Iron I and II and included bowls (Fig. 6:1–4), cooking pots (Fig. 6:7–9) and jars (Fig. 6:10–12).

The remains most likely indicate that some sort agricultural activity had transpired at the site during Iron II.